What's up with out-of-control dogs?

[info being]

When I was growing up, I had a dog (a mutt) named Charcoal. Charcoal knew her place. It was outside. And on the rare occasions that Charcoal was allowed to come into the house, she was to stay within a limited area and behave. She was certainly never allowed on the couch and never dared to sniff food on the table or anything like that. She was well-behaved.

It wasn't that we were cruel to Charcoal. In fact, I thought she was probably a happy dog. We disciplined her a little and loved her a lot. But what's going on with dogs these day? Everyone I know lets their dog get away with anything and everything.

A friend of mine is a successful "progressive dog trainer". Her clients pay more than $100 an hour for her services. I recently had the pleasure of spending the weekend with her and her dog, and saw no evidence that her own dog was trained at all! The dog wouldn't come when you called her name, she sniffed food on the table, she pissed on the floor, and she shed hair all over the couch. She even jumped into the lake for a swim despite simultaneously being yelled at. The dog of our dog-trainer friend simply wasn't trained!

But this isn't the only case of out-of-control doggy I've come across. My sis-in-law, who I love very much, has a little dog who completely rules her life. Her apartment has been turned into a doggy toilette. But she sees no problem with this whatsoever. She just can't find it within herself to get a little pissed off...to even try a little discipline. No, no, because discipline is bad...discipline would make the little doggy unhappy!

Oh, and there's actually a whole theoretical framework behind this school of thought! You see, supposedly dogs can't remember anything that happened more than 20 seconds ago! So you can't possibly spank a dog 30 seconds after she shits on your couch...no, no, you should just shrug your shoulders and laugh it off. And if such a silly thing were to ever upset you...well, obviously you have no heart! Just look at that cute little doggy!

See, the thing is, if dogs only have a 20-second memory...it must really be a miracle that they remember who you are after several days away. And come to think of it, why not spank them then...they'll forget all about it in 20 seconds anyway! So I guess, according to this theory, dogs must have *selective* 20-second memory.

Fascinating. No, absurd.

[Padraig18]

1. Your friend is.... odd.

We've never formally trained either of our dogs, but they're actually pretty well-behaved. Dogs are like kids, really, in that they actually LIKE having 'limits'. Knowing what is or is not acceptable makes EVERYBODY a lot happier.

:)

[info being]

2. No argument from me!

[info being]

3. I should have mentioned...

She's what's called a "Progressive Dog Trainer", trained at the best school in San Francisco.

I fear she's giving Progressivism a bad name!

[Padraig18]

4. Do they believe in "Sit, stay, heel, lie, down", etc.?

Sounds to me like the very concept of 'obedience training' is foreign to her.

[MissMarple]

5. They don't associate a misdeed with a later punishment.

To change their behavior you need to have immediate positive reinforcement. And you need some control over their environment. Yelling is bad, they think you are barking. Barking is fun. Dogs who pee in the house are old, sick or need to be crated. And that leader of the pack thing, that's real. If you don't take control they WILL. They don't really want the job, but someone has to take it. It sounds like your "dog trainer" is dog trained. And your sister needs some better advice, or her dog will become neurotic. Mother dogs discipline all the time and puppies love their moms.

Buy your sister a small crate, a leash, and a dog training book. "Dog Perfect" by Sarah Hodgson has been helping us with our brand new 3 year old Saint. Her entire approach is positive, no swats or yelling. But we are still going to get professional training when doggie settles in a bit more. If the owner doesn't take the role of Alpha, the dog will.

edited because I still can't spell.

[trof]

6. Dogs are pack animals. Your family is their pack.

No, they don't like to sleep outside, or in the garage, not unless you do.
But they'll put up with whatever constraints you put on them.
And still love you.
They want to be with YOU. Period. 24/7

Our 30+ years of German Shepherds always slept wherever they wanted to.
It was always in our bedroom.
Usually on the foot of the bed.
But preferably snuggled up next to you.

[Padraig18]

7. Yeah, ours like to sleep with us, too.

Like you say, foot of the bed if you insist, right next to you if given a choice.

:)

[MissMarple]

8. You and Trof are so sweet. You let your dogs sleep on your beds.

I can handle on the floor by the bed, but 120 pounds of dog is a bit much to sleep with. But I came down this morning and she was curled up on the living room sofa like a big cat. Bad dog. :D This is going to take some retraining.

[Padraig18]

9. We have a really big bed.

We have a California King, and they're pretty good about moving.

:)

[Samurai_Writer]

10. Dogs are dog... People who treat them like people...

are doing them a disservice. My cocker spaniel is a rescue from the pound -- picked up as a 'stray' (although it was obvious he had been someone's pet before). He would not DARE get up on furniture unless I tell him to, by patting the cushion. And he would rather have his bladder burst than pee indoors. He does not get up on my bed unless I tell him to, and even then, it is a quick on and off. He sleeps on the floor by my bedroom door, 'guarding' me.

There's a few dogs around the apartment complex that are out of control, not walked on leashes, etc. It drives me nuts.